Ten high school students from across the metro Jackson area converged Wednesday on the Jackson State University campus to vie for the central Mississippi title of the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest.
Ken Bolinsky, state coordinator of Poetry Out Loud, explained to a crowded audience at the JSU Student Center that those vying for the chance to advance to the state level in March were contestants, not competitors. “This is a contest, not a competition,” he said. Students are judged on points not against each other.
The three selected to advance to the statewide level are:
First Place: Anna Daniels, a junior at Madison Ridgeland Academy;
Second Place: Andre Vincent, a junior at Ridgeland High School;
Third Place: Lawson Marchetti, a sophomore at Jackson Prep.
Also participating: Tess Lott, St. Joseph Catholic School; Rosemarie Miller, Warren Central High School; Mercedes Johnson, Crystal Springs High School; Cayden Shirley, Rosa Scott High School; Caitlyn Radica, Florence High School; Chris Hillhouse, Education Center School; Megan Patterson, Germantown High School.
This is the sixth year the Walker Center has hosted this competition, said Dr. Robert Luckett, director of the Margaret Walker Center for the Study of the African-American Experience. “We’ve had state and national winners,” he said.
One winner from the state level will be selected to attend the national finals in Washington, D.C., Luckett said.
Among those judging were Dr. Deborah H. Barnes, associate professor and graduate faculty, JSU Department of English and Dr. Monica Flippin-Wynn, assistant professor, JSU Department of Mass Communications.
While the judges were tallying the points, the crowd of nearly 100 were riveted by recitations of original works by members of the JSU Outspoken poetry group. Audience members burst into applause and even shouts of joy.
Poetry Out Loud is a program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition.
The Walker Center partners with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Poetry Foundation, and the Mississippi Arts Commission to host the event.